Becoming "Angel"
by Kora
Summary: sequel to "Complete"--part 2 of the "Some Kind of Bond That Cannot Be Broken" trilogy. Now Dave's the one acting strangely, but only Spot notices, and knows why.


****

Becoming "Angel"

__

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this story are mine, except for Jack's sister, Angel/Becca. All the other named characters, and possibly even some of the un-named characters, belong to Disney. This story is just for fun, not meant to steal Disney's characters or anything; no copyright infringement intended.

Summary: Now Davey's the one acting unlike himself, but only Spot notices, and knows why. OR: Becca's back with Jack. Now what?

By: Kora

"So what if I do?" The voice was cool and clipped, edged with anger. Jack was about to reply when Racetrack walked by the two on his way up to the bunkroom. He stopped for a second and whispered to Jack. 

"See t'at face, Cowboy? T'at's t'e defiant look youse flash around all t'e time. T'e famous Cowboy Glare." Race's tone turned mock-serious. "What's it like ta be on t'e receivin' end?" When he saw Jack's expression begin to mold into "The Glare", Race clapped Jack on the back, flashed him a look of sympathy, and climbed up the stairs. 

Sighing, Jack turned back to Becca, and winced. Her leer was stubborn, defiant, angry, stony, with a bit of ice thrown in to further display her contempt. Their first fight in almost ten years. Jack wished he could make things as perfect as they had been only seven days ago…

A WEEK BEFORE:

"…and t'at's 'bout all I can tell ya 'bout bein' a newsie. You'll hafta obsoive t'e rest." Jack and Becca stood in front of a builing. Becca read aloud the sign hanging above the door.

"Newsboys Lodging House. Do they take girls?"

"Shoah. We have t'e 'cassional stop by. But wit' youse heah now, more'll poibably come." He stepped with Becca through the doorway and into the room. There Spot and David were once again engaged in a hushed conference. 

"How long do you think he'll be gone?"

"T'ere's no tellin'. Until he feels bettah, I guess. Youse saw Angel last, did she say anythin' 'bout wheah'd she be taday?'

"Not really. I know that she's playing in a band somewhere and she'll be in Manhattan at the very least for a couple days." At about that time, Jack was tired of watching Spot and Davey confer while only being able to pick up snatches of what they were saying. He cleared his throat and asked:

"Who's Angel?" No one had time to answer because Becca rushed from Jack's side and nearly slammed into Spot, wrapping him in a hug. "Sean! It's been so long!" Spot gently pushed Becca back so he could get a good look at her. Then he smirked. "Yestaday, youse wouldn't even give me a second glance, an' now ya go huggin' me. Youse makes even less sense t'an Jacky-boy ovah t'ere. An' Ise Spot now, remembah?"

"Remember? That hasn't exactly been one of my strong points lately. Yesterday I didn't remember you and today I do. Besides, the only reason I hugged you was because I haven't seen you, well, seen you AND remembered you since I was six. I was glad to see and remember again."

"Of coase ya were. I am Spot Conlon, aftah all." Jack sighed in exasperation, and Becca ignored Spot's self-glorifying comment. Instead, she turned and smiled at Davey, who was trying as hard as he could to mask the disappointment that he hadn't gotten a hug. 

"Hey, Davey."

"Morning. Tell me if I got this right: it's Becca now, or really again, right?"

"Yeah." Becca gave him a small smile. _'The way she slightly crinkles her nose when she smiles like that is so cute!_' Davey thought. 

"Um, Davey?"

"Huh? Oh, what?"

"Thanks for helping me find Jack, or Jack find me, or whichever."

"You're welcome. I mean, it was no trouble; I was glad to…" Davey stammered as he blushed crimson. Spot rolled his eyes. Davey was pathetic. The Walking Mouth, who always knew what to say and when to say it, always acted with such knowledge in every situation, at a complete loss for words. Spot wondered how Jack would take it. He glanced over at the Manhattan newsie leader, and was surprised to see no signs that Jack had any inclination that Davey had a huge crush on Becca. Davey was saved from his faltering as a group of newsies tramped down the stairs.

"Hey, guys, look, itsa goil!" Mush cried. All the other boys started crowding around, shoving others out of the way to get closer. 

"D'ya think she's Spot oah Jack's goil?" Specs wondered aloud.

"Doesn't Jack already have a goil?" Kid Blink answered, with a question.

"Last time I checked he was still with' Sara," Race replied.

"Guys! Hey guys, be quiet!" Jack shouted, but he was un-rewarded for his efforts. 

"Jack," Becca said quietly to her brother, "Let me try."

"Go ahead."

"I'm not anyone's girl." Becca stated strongly, independently, in a voice just below a shout. All talking among the newsies ceased. A few broke apart from the crowd and moved up to introduce themselves. Kid Blink took her hand with the intention to kiss it, but stopped short when he caught the 'don't even try it' look Becca had given Spot the day before. The Brooklyn leader gave some advice to Blink, Race, and Mush, who had come up to introduce themselves.

"Don't even bothah tryin' all t'e floity stuff on hoir. It doesn't woik. Tried it myself yestaday, an' all I got was a stiff reprimandin'. An' if Spot Conlon doesn't get anywheah tryin' ta flirt wit' a goil, youse t'ree coitenly won't."

"Hmm, I don't know, Spot. I was considering letting them flirt just to spite you," Becca teased, a look of pure impishness on her face. Spot scowled back at her.

"Ya heah t'at, boys," Race addressed Blink and Mush, "t'is goil rajected Spot." To the glowering newsie he added "Ya must be losin' yoah edge." Spot's scowl intensified. 

"Whether or not that is true, I'll have to decide, although it would delight me if it is true," Spot glared daggers at Becca, although in reality he wasn't that mad, "it's just that I don't like flirting. I'd prefer it if you'd just act yourself and treat me like you would any other friend." Blink leaned in towards Mush and Race.

"Now t'at sounds like somat'in Jack would say, 'cept he floits wit' t'e real pretty goils."

"Come t'a t'ink a' it, doesn't she kinda look like Jack?" Mush whispered back. Before any of the other newsies could get a decent change to examine Becca for similarities, Jack spoke to them again. 

"Guys! T'ere's someone I'd like ya ta meet."

"Got any moah goils you can intraduce ta us, Cowboy?" Race called out, a hopeful look on his face.

"Ra-ace" the crowd moaned. 

"Jus' makin' shoah." 

"Anyway," Jack said, "t'ere's someone I'd like ya ta meet. T'is is Rebecca," Becca shot Jack a deadly look, "but call hoir t'at an' she'll moidah ya. Call hoir Becca. She's my lit'le sistah." Several seconds of stunned silence followed. Then every newsie was interrogating the other. 

Jack had a little sister? Since when? Did this mean she was hands-off? Probably. But she didn't look like she'd need anyone to take care of her. Did Jack have any other family members running around that they didn't know about? Where had she been all this time? Why hadn't Jack ever mentioned her? Where did she came from? Did all the girls from wherever she was dress like that? Where was her New York accent? She was on good terms with Spot? He'd even let her get away with teasing him. Spot must have known about Becca since he'd known Jack since they were real little. Why didn't Spot ever mention her? They'd seen Becca talking to Davey, did he know her? How long had he known/or or known about her?

Such questions and more swarmed around the room, which had begun to hum with all the combined voices. Somehow, Becca managed to shout above all the hubbub. "You know what, guys? I ought to be heading back to the hotel now to get my stuff, and then we, I mean the band and I, need to warm up. And it seems that you guys should be heading out soon. So I'm just gonna go now." Most of the talking ceased as the newsies tried to process everything Becca had said, and suppress the questions her statement had aroused.

Jack snapped out of his wonderings fast enough to catch his sister as she headed out the door. "Becky, wait! Wheahya goin'? I thought we was gonna stick taget'a now."

"We are, but I have an obligation to the band until they leave town. I'll move my stuff from the hotel to here, but I've got to go now and so do all of you."

"Wait, did youse say youse were in a band?" Becca nodded impatiently. "T'at's poifect! I mean, youse always been so good wit' music. It's been foahevah, couldya mabey sing a song foah us oah soma'tin?"

"But I don't have my guitar."

"So? Youse nevah needed any instruments befoah." Becca squirmed uncomfortably. 

"I know. I'm just not very used to singing without any accompaniment, I haven't in so long."

"T'ere's a piano in t'e cornah." Becca started and whipped her head around to the unfamiliar voice. It was Kloppman. He had been in the background, watching everything from when Spot and Davey came that morning up until now. "It hasn't been used in qui'e awhile; 'twas an old boithday present, but me ancient fingahs can't tickle t'e ivory like t'ey used to."

"D'ya know how ta play t'e piano?" Jack asked

"Kind of. I can't read music; I play by ear, but I did figure out how to play one song on the piano." Becca looked at the room full of imploring eyes, and sighed. "Alright. I guess we both have time for one song." She walked over to the large structure shoved in the corner of the room. The piano cover felt cool and leathery in her hands. As she pulled the cover off, a cloud of dust erupted. Sputtering, she waved her hands around to get rid of the billow. Once the dust had settled, she started picking at the piano keys. After waiting for awhile, Jack saw the restless shuffling of the other newsies. The wanted to hear Jack's sister play/sing, but they didn't want to stand here waiting. Finally, he spoke,

"Uh, Becky?"

"I don't know the specific notes or anything, I just need to know what it sounds like, so I have to figure out where my hands go. Ah, here we go." Becca's fingers slowly slid over the keys as she played a soft and beautiful tune. Once the introduction was over, she began to sing. The newsies stood stunned, they'd never heard a voice like this before.

_'Angel'_, Davey sighed internally.

_'So t'at's wheah she got t'e name Angel,'_ Spot thought. _'I hoid hoir sing as a kid, but it was nuttin' like t'is.'_ Jack, however, stood frozen. The song was opening a vault in his memory that he thought he'd shut so tight that it would never reopen. 

__

Your heart will always be my home

No matter where I go

No matter what may come

You'll be my shelter in the storm

A harbor safe and sound

Where only true forgiveness can be found.

But still…I wanna run away, and go it all alone

When will I ever learn from my mistakes?

(chorus)

I can't live without Your love

'Cause Your eyes have seen beyond the things I'm guilty of.

I won't be afraid to turn back down the road

'Cause Your heart will always be my home

And when I've cried a thousand tears

You've always wiped them dry

And watched me as I spread my wings and fly

To a place where holiness begins

And mercy never ends

And I will find my freedom once again.

But still…I wanna run away, and go it all alone

When will I ever learn from my mistakes?

(repeat chorus)

Your hands are always open

To catch me when I fall

I feel a million miles away

But that's no distance at all…

(bridge)

But still…I wanna run away, and go it all alone

When will I ever learn from my mistakes?

(repeat chorus)

this song ©2000 Dayspring Music/SGO Music Publishing Ltd. (admin by Dayspring Music INC/BMI)

Words and Music by Chris Eaton. Performed by Rachel Lampa, on the "Live for You" CD.

This song belongs to the people mentioned above, not me. No copyright infringement intended at all, I'm not getting any money for this or anything.

For several seconds, the room was deadly silent. Slowly Becca swirled around from the piano. The newsies, all save Jack, were about to burst into cheers and applause when they saw the expression on Becca's face. Shakily, she asked Jack, with tears glistening in her eyes, "Mamma sang that song, didn't she?" Jack, how had the same sorrowful countenance about him, nodded. Swallowing a lump that had risen in his throat, he huskily added,

"As a lullaby, oah jus' ta calm us down."

"That song…it was the one thing besides Santa Fe that I could remember crystal clearly. I always thought that I had written it, but as I finished playing, I remembered…" Becca trailed off. Glancing around, she composed herself. "All of us really have to leave now."

"Yeah, yeah we do." Jack replied. As Becca was leaving, Davey snapped out of his trance.

"Becca?"

"Yeah?"

"Us, I mean the newsies, I mean we, we always eat lunch at this little restaurant called Tibby's. You wanna…?"

"Sure…but I've never heard of Tibby's. I don't know where it is or anything."

"A poiblem easily solved." Race stepped up to Becca. "Wheahya gonna be 'round lunchtime taday?"

"Irving Hall."

"Medda's? Youse got great taste," exclaimed Race.

"Thanks."

"T'ere's always a newsie sellin' somewheah 'round Medda's. Me, Davey, and Les'll go t'ere taday and pick ya up."

"Thanks, Jack. But now we all really have to go." Everyone in the room checked their various pocket-watches, and paled. In a large wave, everyone but Kloppman rushed out of the Lodging House and into the streets. Becca parted from them as they passed Medda's. Watching them go, she sighed happily. Finally, she had a family. 

***

The rest of the week passed in a blur. Becca moved into the Lodging House. She wouldn't have minded sleeping in a room with all of the boys, but Jack found another room with a couple sets of bunks in the corner of the Lodging House. Becca might not have agreed to stay there all by herself in a room if it hadn't have been for the separate bathroom adjoining the back room. Everyday, Becca met the newsies for lunch at Tibby's. They would go and see her band perform at night, then everyone but Les and Davey would go back to the Lodging House. When he could get away from Brooklyn, Spot came too. 

Before long, Becca had most of her memory back. She was able to explain to Jack what had happened after he'd been taken to the Refuge. She'd only been alone for a day when a group of men from the orphanage came. The landlord had finally realized that two little kids were not going to make rent. Terrified, Becca had ducked out between the legs of one man and ran into the streets. She had been blinded by fear and hadn't paid much attention to where she was going. She crashed headlong into something, as to what, her memory was still blurry at that part. When Becca awoke, she couldn't remember anything but Santa Fe. Just her luck, she happened to be near Grand Central Station, and a train headed for that exact city was preparing to leave right then. Still not thinking clearly, Becca stole aboard the train. It was a few days before anyone found her hiding in the storage compartment, but no one had the heart to kick off a sweet little girl with no memory. She was deposited in Santa Fe, where she soon met the nuns. 

By then she remembered that her mother was dead, and her father gone. Over the six years at the convent, Becca found an old piano and picked out the song that was haunting her memory. Becca had always supposed that it was her who had written it. And as for refusing to wear dresses or skirts, she wasn't sure where that had come from, but she was just as stubborn about it today. She hated dresses/skirts, found them extremely uncomfortable, and just wouldn't where them. When Becca turned thirteen, she was determined to find her past, and any family she might have. Davey jumped in and finished the rest of the story. 

***

During Becca's very first lunch at Tibby's, it was decided by unanimous that Becca was to be declared the first official Manhattan "newsgoil." Of course, every newsie needs a nickname. While Jack and the others deliberated as to what to call her, Davey daydreamed of Becca that morning on the piano. Her voice had been so beautiful. "Angel," he said wistfully. Jack quickly held out a hand and hushed the others.

"Angel? T'at's poifect! Becky's already used ta t'tat name, and it seems ta fit." The newsies murmured in agreement. They turned to Becca, who professed that Angel would do fine. "Good t'inkin', Mouth." Jack clapped Davey on the Back. "How'd ya t'ink a' it, t'ough? It's on a' t'ose t'ings t'at's so simple, but hard ta t'ink of." Davey panicked, and quickly blurted out,

"I don't know, it just kinda popped into my head out of nowhere." Spot coughed, sounding like someone who is trying to suppress a laugh. Jack didn't notice, and neither did anyone else. So from then on, Becca was christened: Becca "Angel" Kelly, known as Becky only to Jack. Just like Jack/Cowboy, the newsies used Becca/Angel interchangeably. 

***

Becca spent the remaining days of the week selling with different newsies. She spent her first free day with Jack, Les, and Davey. She went with Kid Blink and Mush to Broadway one day, and the next carried the banner around Brooklyn with Spot. Becca accompanied Race to the tracks on another day, and miraculously kept him from betting too much.

***

Kloppman loved having Becca around. Ever since she'd been living at the Lodging House, she'd woken up early and managed to get all the other boys up. Jack remembered waking up that first morning. He'd been having peaceful dreams when an itching sensation emerged in/on his ear and broke his dream. Stubbornly, he rubbed his ear, rolled over, and tried to drift back off. But the sensation returned again, this time on his nose. Jack sneezed and popped his eyes open. Leaning over him was his sister. In her hand she held the feather that had been in her hair the previous day. "Morning, Jack," she said in a sugar-coated voice, smiling sweetly. 

"Like clockwoik," Jack replied. Crutchy, who had been observing the entire seen, looked confused. Jack saw the question on his face and answered it. "Every moinin' when we was kids, my sistah woke up eoily and jus' has ta come an wake me up. She must considah it some kinda sick game ta invent new ways ta distoib my slumba." Becca grinned roguishly at Jack, who pulled himself up, and got dressed. 

***

"You know what? I'm just gonna leave now."

"Huh? What?" Jack snapped back into reality.

"If you're just going to stand there staring out into nothing, then I'm going to leave." Becca's voice was frozen.

"Wait, no, yoah stayin' heah."

"WHY?"

"'Cuz--"

"Because I'm fifteen. Because I'm your little sister. Because we were separated for almost ten years and you're not about to lose me gain. Because you're being way too overprotective and you know it! Because all I want to do is go visit Brooklyn! Because you couldn't stop me if I wanted to go bad enough, but I'm deciding to be considerate and at least consider doing what you're asking me to do! Because I saved Davey's hide, Les' hide, and YOUR hide, and you STILL don't think that I can take of myself! I appreciate this and everything, it's sweet, it's touching, but I am NOT six anymore so STOP treating me like I am!"

Jack just glowered at her. Now it was matched glare for glare. Mush, Race, and Kid Blink peered down the stairs at the siblings. "Owch. See t'at? I would not want ta be standin' in batween t'ose two," Kid Blink commented. 

Finally Becca broke the staring match. "FINE! Be that way! I'm going to my room!"

"Go right ahead, long as ya stay heah!" Jack shouted after her. Becca paused long enough to give him a withering glance. Then she stomped up the stairs, not noticing the three huddled off to one side. Jack waited until he heard her door slam shut ,which made everyone in the house wince with the ferocity of the noise, then he began to trudge up the stairs, almost tripping on the three hiding out.

"What are youse t'ree doin' heah?"

"We came down ta see t'e sawce a' t'e noise t'at was distoibin' oah game," answered Race. 

"Ya know, she is fifteen, maybe ya should give hoir a lit'le freedom…" Mush trailed off when he saw the look in Jack's eyes.

"Let's go back upstaihs. C'mon Cowboy, we'll letcha join in t'e next hand," Race offered.

"Ise don't know, guys, maybe I should go tawk ta hoir."

"What, and get yoah head bit off in t'e process? Wait till tamorrah moinin', you'll bot' be moah cooled off by t'en," adviced Kid Blink. Jack chewed on the inside of his cheek, not sure what to do. Eventually he decided to listen to Blink, and the four friends headed upstairs.

***

Becca muttered to herself angrily as she stood on top of her bed and probed the ceiling. "He has SO much nerve, I'm not a child anymore, and he's acting too much like a parent. I know it's late, but if I want to go wander, why can't I? And it's not like the middle of the night's the only time I want to go out. He has someone pick me up and drop me off EVERYWHERE I go, and at all times of the day, even in the middle of the afternoon! And after the band left, the closest I've been to being by myself is being alone in a room. And does he honestly think that I'm gonna sit around and not go anywhere by myself? I'm trying to be all courteous by telling him where I'm going, thinking that maybe he'll see that and give me some freedom but he doesn't and it's not fair!"

Becca stopped her rambling when she found the square-shaped crack in the ceiling she'd been looking for. That morning waking up, with the sun hitting the ceiling the way it had been, she'd thought she'd seen the outline of a small door on the ceiling, but decided to investigate it later. Now, standing tip-toe on the bed, she could reach it just enough to brush her fingers over it. Pushing, she managed to open it, and the door swung upward and hit something with a loud thump.

***

In the main bunkroom, a loud noise on the roof startled the boys from their cards. They looked at each other. "Large pigeons," Crutchy offered. The others shrugged and resumed the game. 

***

Becca looked up at the open hole in the ceiling. She could make out a few stars; her room held a trapdoor to the roof! Becca wondered if the boys knew about it. Jack couldn't, or he wouldn't have let her use this room knowing how easily she could get out of it without being seen. Or maybe he didn't think she'd be able to get it open. Smiling, Becca bounced up and down on her bed. She managed to adequate height to propel herself high enough to get a good grip on the roof-top. She then pulled herself up and onto the roof.

Becca carefully closed the trapdoor. She heard a click--the door had locked. It really didn't matter, though. She could always sneak back in through the window by the fire escape that led to the other back room. Kloppman used it for storage, it was perfect. The other day she had slipped away and found bars over the window, but it was unlocked. It might be a tight fit, but she was small-boned, and she'd be able to squeeze through a larger hole between two of the bars. Grinning wider, Becca ran over to the fire escape, and slipped away into the night.

***

All the other newsies had turned in, but Jack hadn't gone to sleep yet. He felt bad about the fight he and Becca had had. When they were kids, they'd hardly ever fought. But maybe that was because they were too busy trying to do all they could to stay out of their father's way and help their mother. Jack silently climbed out of his bunk and padded down the hallway to Becca's room. He rapped on her door. No answer. He knocked again, a little louder. Still nothing. She must have gone to sleep. Part of him wanted to wake her up and talk to her. But that would probably only make her even more mad. There'd be plenty of time to talk with her tomorrow. Jack returned to his bunk and yielded to Hypnos. 

***

Becca jogged through the streets. Spot and a few others might still be awake if she got there soon enough. As Becca rounded a corner, she was somewhat surprised to see another figure out wandering. It was too dark for her to make out what the person looked like, but then unless he/she attacked her, why should she care what they looked like? Becca continued on, paying the person no heed. "Becca?" the figure whispered loudly as she passed him. By the voice she now knew it was a man. In fact, the voice sounded familiar. She stopped, turned around, and squinted in the dim lamp-light.

"Davey?" The curly-haired boy responded to his name and stepped closer to her. 

"Hey." '_Wow,'_ he thought, '_Becca's out here the same time as me. Wonder if that means anything.'_ Then Davey's usual self slapped him back into the real world, and he asked, with concern in his voice, "what are you doing out here this late?"

"I could ask you the same question," came the reply. Davey couldn't figure out if her voice contained annoyance, impatience, or amusement. "Wait, Jack didn't send you out to patrol the streets in case I should escape from prison, did he?" Davey pondered about Becca's likening of the Lodging House to a prison. 

"No," he said honestly. "Couldn't sleep. Happens every so often, and when it does, I come out here and walk around so I don't disturb anyone at home."

"And your parents don't care?"

"I don't know if they know."

"So you sneak out?" Becca asked, eyes glittering with mirth. 

"I guess you could call it that." Becca let out a small laugh. Davey then realized how relaxed, even comfortable he was. It was weird, ordinarily when he was around Becca he was completely tongue-tied. Maybe that's because there were usually so many other people around and he was worried that the others might find out that he liked her. She was the little sister, and Davey wasn't sure how the others would react if they knew. '_Maybe this means that I'm starting to get over her crush-wise,'_ he judged. _'Maybe she's becoming just a friend, albeit a good one.'_

"So," he prodded, "is the Lodging House really that bad?"

"No," Becca half-sighed, a somewhat mischievous tone in her voice. Next her voice dropped. "It's just--"

"You and Jack had a fight, didn't you?"

"How'd you know?"

"I do have a sister, remember? I can tell when she's mad at me."

"But I'm not your sister, and I'm not mad at you."

"But you're mad at your brother. Similar feeling."

"Oh." Becca saw Davey's prompting look. She could tell that he wanted to ask what was wrong, but he wasn't sure if asking would bother her. "I mean, the Lodging House is great, it feels perfect, it's my home. Just Jack's being so overprotective right now that any of the places I'm allowed to go feel like jail or something." Seeing Davey's understanding nod, she continued. "So I tried to tell him about it, and we had this huge fight. Then I snuck out."

"To anywhere particular?"

"Brooklyn. I wanted to see Spot." Davey struggled to hide his disappointment. '_Or not,'_ he mused, in relation to him thinking that maybe he didn't have a crush on Becca anymore. 

"In the middle of the night?"

"There's a chance he might be awake. And if he wasn't I'd wander around for awhile."

"And if he was?"

"I'd ask him if I could stay there and sleep."

"So you snuck away from the Manhattan Lodging House where you could be and are supposed to be sleeping to go sleep at the Brooklyn Lodging House?" Becca fidgeted as she attempted to explain.

"It's not as much which Lodging House as that I wanted to be somewhere Jack told me to go."

"Jack won't let you go see Spot in Brooklyn?"

"Not tonight. He told me that it was too late, not enough of an emergency to make someone take me all the way out there, that sort of thing. It makes me so mad, I can go out there myself, I can take care of myself."

"It is late, that part is reasonable. And he's just looking after you."

"I know that, but he's going overboard."

"He may be, but perhaps you should try talking to him about it."

" I did!" The near-shout echoed through the empty street and Davey tried raised a finger to his lips. Becca winced, "oops."

"You wanna walk with me?" Davey asked cautiously.

"Spot's most likely asleep now, and I really shouldn't have been bothering him anyway. So sure." Becca smiled up at Davey. '_Definitely not.'_ Davey thought.

As they started walking, Davey figured that maybe he should try being himself around Becca, which meant being the Walking Mouth. And in this case, it meant giving advice. "Can I ask you something?" he queried.

"Shoot."

"Did you talk to Jack?"

"I already told you, I talked to him--"

"Without yelling?"

"Oh."

"Try keeping your temper. And before you get mad at someone, or get in a fight with them, you should try to see things from their perspective. Which in this case means understanding something about your brother."

"Like what?"

"Like that he's a big brother. A big brother who's mother's dying wish was for her children not to be split apart. That didn't happen. Becca, you should have seen him. He felt like hie had to go to Santa Fe to find you. He almost did."

"He would have missed me, I left a few years before."

"That's essentially what I told him, that he chances of you being there now, even if you had been there before, were very slim. But he was a wreck. He ate less, slept less, even sold less. He said that he was wracked with guilt because he had passed up the chance to find you in staying here."

"Really?" Becca said, voice holding the distinctive tone of held-off tears. 

"Now his behavior, it's just because of nearly ten years of no little sister to be a big brother to. It's all his big-brotherly protectiveness culminating now. Put yourself in his shoes. The same situation, just with you as the big sister and him as the little brother. Would you be acting the same way?"

"Basically, I guess." Becca answered slowly. 

"Jack does need to realize that you're not a child anymore, and he has to let you walk to Tibby's alone if you want to. But you have to talk to him, calmly," Davey put emphasis on the last word, "and let him know that you understand how he feels. Jack will listen, it's just that you two are so alike and when one gets upset, the other does…"

"And then Kloppman has to threaten to call the cops on us for disturbing the peace."

"Exactly." Becca giggled, crinkling her nose. Davey thought his heart was going to stop, right then and there. When he regained his composure, he spoke. "So I take it you're not angry with Jack anymore, and that you're going to talk to him?"

"No and yes."

"No and yes?"

"Yes I'm going to talk to him, but no, I'm still mad at him. I'm going to be mad at him until after he wakes up."

"Why?"

"Because if I'm mad at him, then I have a golden opportunity and excuse to experiment with new cruel and unusual ways to wake Jack up." Davey, who had heard the stories of how prompt and…creative Becca was in getting her brother up in the morning, laughed back. 

"I feel bad for Jack."

"Oh, Davey, look! The sun's coming up!" The two halted and watched as the sun slowly lit and warmed the cobblestones. Smudges of light green, peach, pink, and soft yellow fingerprinted the blue of the horizon. "Dawn's my favorite time of day," breathed Becca.

"Same with me. It's so beautiful. Everyone talks about sunset being the best, but I say it's sunrise," Davey replied.

"Because at sunset, there's still people out and around. That takes something away. At sunrise, it's just you and the rising sun. Perfect peace and quiet. There's something almost…surreal to it," added Becca.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." After that, there was silence. Davey and Becca observed the sunrise. Becca craned her neck to get a better view, which caused her to lean in closer to Davey. Yet Davey didn't notice, so entranced was he by the splendor of the magnificent orb inching its way up onto the sky. Once the best part of the show had ended, both Becca and Davey turned back to each other, and it was then that they noticed how close they were. Both stood frozen for a second, but quickly Becca drew back.

"I've really got to run if I want to make it back before Jack wakes up and realizes that I'm gone."

"Yeah, same with me, just before my parents notice. So I'll see you soon, then?"

"By lunch at the latest. If I'm able to talk with Jack, he might let me go off alone today. I want to look for something." Becca could tell that Davey wished she would elucidate, but she wanted to keep it a secret until anything was definite. Smiling mysteriously, Becca said her good-byes to Davey, and the two went their separate ways. 

***

Davey made it back to his room just in time, for a few moments later, his mother came around to wake them up.

***

Becca climbed to the top of the nearest building, and raced along the rooftops. When she made it to the Lodging House, she flew down the fire escape and squeezed through the window. She slowly crept out of the storage room. She stood silently in the hallway, listening. Hearing only the sounds of sleeping newsies, Becca sighed in relief. She snuck back too her room, and took a shower. Once she was ready, Becca began to gather what she'd need.

***

Jack was floating in a black void, apart from all forms of consciousness. Sheer exhaustion had launched him into this world of dreamless slumber. Faintly, he could hear a voice pierce the darkness, but it wasn't loud enough to call him back to the land of the living.

***

Something caused Dutchy to wake up. He pulled one eye open. He could see Becca standing by Jack's bunk. She was calling him to wake up, but softly. Dutchy wondered why, Becca of all people should know that try to wake up Jack using any voice below a bellow wouldn't cut it. Dutchy was too tired to care, though. He rolled over and went back to sleep.

***

"Jack. Ja-ack? Cowboy? It's time to get up! C'mon sleepyhead, let's go! Alright, Jack, since you won't wake up, you leave me no other choice."

***

Blackness. Nothingness. Purely rest, sweet sleep. Calm and order and blissful quietness reigned. All of a sudden, something icy and shockingly wet crashed his blesséd oblivion into a crude world of awareness, alertness, sleeplessness. Sputtering, Jack sat straight up. He shoved away the hair plastered around his eyes and glowered at the person standing in front of him. "Becca!" The near growl caused the rest of the newsies to stir and awake. Once they fully regained their senses, the room was full of stifled laughter. In response to Jack's anger, Becca arranged a completely innocent look on her face and replied,

"You wouldn't wake up. I had to do _some_thing." For awhile, Jack wanted to be upset. But then that reasonable voice in his head told him that this was just his sister's way of expressing her own anger. And seeing as how she could be doing things that were a lot worse, he decided to drop it. Besides, why let being soaked, literally, in the morning mess up your attitude up for the rest of the day? So he joined in on the laughter of the others, and the entire incident was forgiven. 

***

Even though she could have gone with anyone, Becca decided to sell with Jack today. When she and her brother met up with Davey and Les at the Distribution Center, Davey pulled her aside and suggested that she and Jack sell alone today so that they would have time to talk. Becca agreed, and Davey told Jack that he and Les were going to sell alone today so that he (Jack) could spend some quality time with his sister. Jack seemed a bit confused by that, but he trusted Davey, so he consented. After all the newsies split up, Jack posed his query to Becca.

"What was t'at all 'bout?"

"Davey thought that you and I should sell together without anyone else around so that we can talk."

"How--"

"He's got a sister. He can tell when things are strained between siblings."

"But why did he tawk ta you 'bout it instead a' me?"

"Because he could tell that I'm the one who was mad at you first so he had to make sure I was ready to talk to you."

"Why you and not me?"

"I don't know. Ask him yourself when we see him at lunch." Jack stopped to belt out an improved headline, sell about five papes, then turn back to his sister.

"Look, Becky, I know t'at yoah mad at me foah bein' very ovahpratective, and maybe I am, but t'ere's somethin' ya got ta undastand."

"I know. It was Mom's last wish for us to stay together and that didn't happen. You were, are, the oldest, and you felt responsible, although there was nothing either of us could have done. It's perfectly normal for older brothers to be overprotective of their little sisters, and for you, you went on overdrive because you have 9 1/2 years of older-brother protectiveness that you had nothing to do with because I wasn't around. Now I am, and you're so glad to have me back and you don't want anything else to happen to me. All of your older-brother protectiveness is pouring out on me now, at once, even if you're not fully aware of it."

Jack was surprised. He had thought that Becca didn't have any idea where he was coming from. "If ya know wheah Ise comin' from, t'en why dontcha act like it?"

"Because you also need to understand that I'm fifteen and am not going to stand to be treated like a six-year-old." Becca waited as Jack sold some more papes, then looked to him for an answer. Jack set his chin stubbornly, but when he saw the expression on his sister's face, he decided that maybe striking a compromise would be best. 

"Yoah right. Ise always known t'at ya were, I jus' get worried 'bout ya. So how's t'is, youse can go wheah ya want when ya want, but jus' foah now, could ya stick ta Brooklyn and Manhattan?" Becca didn't completely agree, but Jack had said just for now and since he was giving, she had to give too. She complied. "And if it's not too much trouble, couldya try to tell me wheah youse goin' if yoah gonna be gone foah awhile?" Becca smiled at Jack in agreement, but he wasn't looking at her. His gaze went up over her head out into the crowded street. His visage was overflowing with shock, and something else. Wait, it couldn't be…fear?

"Jack? Jack! What is it? Are you okay?" Jack was staring out into the crowd. '_It can't be, it jus' can't be. T'ey carted him away ta jail. Ise can't tell Becky, it'll scare hoir too mich. I'll jus' pretend t'at I didn't see him.'_ "Jack?"

"What? Oh, sorry, Becky, foah a second t'ere Ise t'ought I aw Snydah." Becca's face swiftly flowed over with worry. She had heard more than enough horror stories of Snyder from Jack, Crutchy, and an assortment of others.

"Snyder? Wasn't he put away for a long, long time?"

"He was. T'e guy I saw wasn't him. It jus' kinda looked like him. Start'led me foah a second." Becca looked doubtful. 

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. It wasn't Snydah. So, wese all set'led t'en?" Becca nodded, and the two wandered off.

****

Spot decided to drop by at Tibby's today. He wanted to talk to Davey, especially if things were still the same with him that they had been earlier this week. He walked into Tibby's to find a few of the newsies there, but it wasn't quite late enough for the place to be full yet. Even Jack wasn't there. Mush and Kid Blink were sitting off to the side, trading stories about their latest heartthrobs. They paused long enough to greet Spot.

"Afternoon, Spot."

"Heya, Brooklyn."

Spot replied back to them, then sat down at a booth near the front to wait for Davey. He only had to wait for a few minutes. Les ran in ahead of his brother, and made a beeline for Mush and Blink. Although Les hero-worshipped Jack, he still looked up to the older newsies. They ruffled his hair, and continued their conversation. Davey took a seat next to Spot. "Hey, Davey."

"'Lo, Spot."

"I'll jus' cut ta t'e chase heah. T'ere's somet'in Ise gotta tawk ta ya 'bout."

"Fine. Just one second, though. Have you seen Becca? She went selling with Jack this morning."

"T'at's what Ise wanna tawk ta ya 'bout."

"Is Becca okay?" Davey asked, urgency and worry in his voice.

"Yeah, she's fine. But it's you whose gots me a lit'le concerned."

"Me?"

"Yeah you. Youse ain't been much a' a mouth lately. Youse been spendin' most a' youah time obsessin' ovah Becca." Davey's cheeks flamed.

"I am not--"

"Youse are so. I's been obvious evah since I saw hoir in t'e same room as ya. Now foah some reason, it doesn't seem like anyone but me has noticed yoah crush on Becca. And don't worry, I ain't gonna tell no one. T'is is some'tin youse gotta act on."

Davey slumped down dejectedly in his seat. "It doesn't really matter anyway. She doesn't have that kind of interest in me. If she likes anyone, it's you."

Spot looked amused. "Becca, like me? Foist of all, Davey, t'ere's somet'in youse gotta undastand. And ta do t'at, I gotta tell ya somet'in. But youse can't breathe a woid of it ta anyone, 'cause Angel'd moidah if she found out I told youse, oah anyone, t'is." Even at the prospect of Spot divulging a seemingly huge secret of Becca's to him, Davey still appeared miserable. Spot ignored that and continued. 

"I use ta go ovah Jack's all t'e time when we was lit'le. I even rememba a bit befoah Becca was born. I saw hoir foah t'e foist time when she was only a week old. T'en she jus' kept growin'. I rememba t'at lotsa times, when Jack's fat'ah was out drinkin', Jack's mot'ah would come home, cook dinnah, and fall asleep, she was so tiahed. T'at happened a lot when Becca was a real Angel, all tiny and cute, only 'bout six months old. So me'n Jack took it upon ouahselves ta take care a' hoir. We'd feed hoir, play wit' hoir, change hoir diapers…"

Davey who had had his head down on the table lifted his head up and looked at Spot in interest.

"…and give hoir baths,"

Davey's eyes widened,

"t'at sort a' t'ing. Do ya get it? I could nevah see someone who's diapers I changed as anyt'in moah t'en a lit'le sistah. And I know Becca, and trust me, she could nevah see me as anyt'in moah t'en a big brot'ah." Davey digested that for a moment, then nodded in understanding. 

"Yeah, I do get it. I don't know what's been wrong with me lately. I'm usually the one who knows how to act, what to do, what to say. If I ever want to have the chance of her ever possibly looking at me as anything more than a friend, if I even want her to see me as a real good friend, I've got to be myself."

"See? Ya got it. Now foah t'e ot'er t'ing, wheah'd ya get t'e idea t'at Angel might like me?"

"I'm not really sure. I mean, you are the famous lady's man, but I do know that Becca isn't impressed by that stuff, in fact, she isn't thrilled at all by that, but I just got to wondering. And she did hug you that morning she got her memory back…but I do know that's because she sees you as a big brother and she just got her memory back. And then there's her always being happy to see you when you stop by, but I know that's because you live in Brooklyn and she realizes that you can't always just leave, and she appreciates that."

"So if ya know all t'at stuff doesn't necessarily mean t'at Becca likes me, t'en wheah'd ya get t'e idea t'at she might?"

"Mostly from last night."

"Last night? What happened last night?"

"Jack and Becca had a fight, the first one they've had in almost ten years. I'm not surprised, with Jack being so overprotective and Becca being as independent, well, as like Jack as she is--this has been building up all week. So Becca snuck out last night, right after Jack told her not to go anywhere. I was out wandering like I do when I can't sleep, and I ran into her. I asked her where she was going, and she said to Brooklyn, to see if you might still be awake."

"Brooklyn? Why? And Ise didn't see hoir at all last night."

"That's because I asked her why, and she told me about the fight. It turned out that the main reason she wanted to go to see you in the middle of the night was because Jack told her not to."

"And she does what he told hoir not ta do. Sounds like somet'in Jack hisself would do."

"Doesn't it? But don't tell them that."

"What ended up happenin'?"

"I told her that she should talk to Jack and try to understand where he's coming from. That's why Les and I sold by ourselves today, I suggested that Becca go alone with Jack so they could talk. Then Becca and I walked around until dawn, when we both had to go."

"So youse two walked around tawkin' half t'e night, you got hoir not ta be mad at Jack, you watched t'e sunrise taget'a, and ya still t'ought t'at Angel might like me?" Davey, not being the largest of experts in this area, didn't pick up on it.

"Yeah." Spot shook his head. "What?"

"Nevah mind, i's nothin'." Right then, everyone else, including Jack and Becca, flooded into Tibby's. Becca flopped down next to Davey, and thanked him for helping her with Jack. Davey knew that he still liked her, but somehow he wasn't tongue-tied or anything. He flashed Spot a look of gratitude, who gave a slight nod back. Abruptly, Spot felt a nudge on his shoulder. It was Jack. 

"Can I tawk ta ya foah a second, Spot?"

"Shoah." Jack pulled Spot aside, and whispered into his ear. When Jack finished, Spot stared in shock at Jack. 

"But Ise t'ought t'ey locked him up and t'rew away t'e key!"

"Apparently not. Ise saw him out on t'e streets taday. I need ta have some a' yoah Brooklyn guys 'round when ya can. If he sees Becky and figahs out who she is…I don't wanna t'ink 'bout what may happen. And don't tell anyone, Spot, Ise can't have Becky gettin' wind a' any a' t'is. It would scare hoir too much." In any other situation, Spot would have argued with Jack about this. They all knew well that Becca could take care of herself. But with HIM out…it was too dangerous, at least for now, until they figured out what to do.

"I'll do all I can, Jack, ya know t'at."

"Thanks, Spot."

"No poiblem."

"We should go sit down befoah anyone suspects t'at somet'in big is up." Spot agreed, and they sat down. Spot managed to jump right back into the usual groove of things, but Jack was preoccupied. He watched his sister in deep conversation with Davey. Listening in, he could hear them talk about Celtic faeries in Greece in Midsummer something by Shakespeare. He watched them both burst into laughter, to the confusion of the others sitting around them. Jack was glad to see Davey acting normal again. He had seemed quieter than usual as of late, particularly for the Walking Mouth. Mush and Kid Blink had indubitably forgotten about the girls they had met last night upon the entrance of two twin blondes. 

Les was wolfing down a hot dog, next to him Pie Eater was tackling, what else, a pie. Spot and Boots were inspecting a pile of shooters. Race was recruiting people for a blackjack game, and had successfully enlisted Skittery, Snoddy, and Bumlets. "Heya Cowboy, ya up foah a quick round befoah wese gotta go and sell t'e aftanoon edition?"

"Shoah, Race." Jack moved up from where he was sitting and relocated at the table where the blackjack game was about to start. As he received his hand, Jack took one last gaze around the room before concentrating on his cards. This was his family, his world. He wasn't going to let anyone mess it up, not even HIM. Especially not HIM. 

****

The End

__

Please review! I'll really appreciate anything you have to say, but I'll probably throw flames out.


End file.
